


It's Troublesome (But SaiRai Sounds Cool)

by isuilde



Category: Seiyuu Fandom
Genre: F/M, RPS - Freeform, Tales of Festival 2012 backstage, seiyuu idiocy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-30
Updated: 2013-10-30
Packaged: 2017-12-30 23:00:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1024411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isuilde/pseuds/isuilde
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which the nickname Sairai bugs Saiga, for reasons she can’t quite pinpoint herself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Troublesome (But SaiRai Sounds Cool)

**Author's Note:**

> Event in this fic did not transpire in real life. This is made for pure fun, while keeping my fingers crossed that they would get married soon. Or at least publicly become an item, I’m not picky. *is bricked*
> 
> This was written for mystearika's birthday on 2012.

“Was that so bad?”  
  
Asumi’s hand finds her shoulder in a reassuring patting motion, and she lets her shoulders sag a little. She picks at the edge of her script, still annoyed, before turning around to offer the other female seiyuu a small smile.  
  
“Not really, I guess. It’s just… troublesome.”  
  
“You keep saying that, Saiga-san,” Asumi takes the empty seat next to her, watching the backstage crew bustling about. Out on the stage, Garasu no Hana is still reverberating in the air, Oku Hanako’s voice drifting almost like a lullaby. Tales of Festival seems to be getting bigger and bigger every year, and Saiga can’t help but feel thankful that she can be part of this event, even if only a small part of it.  
  
“Saiga-san?” This time, Asumi’s voice holds a hidden giggle. “I think it’s a cool name.”  
  
Saiga turns, eyebrows knitting in puzzlement. “What is?”  
  
“Sairai.”  
  
Saiga snorts. “It’s stupid. Troublesome. They’re doing this on purpose, I’m sure—Onosaka-san didn’t have to actually call him on stage with us. He wanted to get back at me for teasing him earlier.” She picks on her script again, trying to push down the annoyed itch in her chest. She can’t quite explain it—it isn’t a big deal, what happened on stage, how Sakurai and Onosaka teamed up against her and teased her mercilessly. Whatever they say, Dio is Dio, not Asbel, and therefore it’s only logical if Sakurai takes over the voice acting when Dio transforms into Asbel. She is okay with it. It’s the fact of how Onosaka keeps trying to mix her and Sakurai with their characters that bugs her a bit.  
  
What annoys her is that the inside joke—their inside joke—about her odd relationship with Sakurai was hinted in their teasing one time too many. Inside jokes should not make their way into their work, and being on stage is part of work. She likes to keep them apart.  
  
“It wasn’t that bad. It’s just a joke. Besides, it’s funny how they put it; that even though it’s you in the inside, it’s Sakurai-san on the outside—“  
  
“Dio is Dio.” She says, tensing, realizing too belatedly that her tone clips a little. Asumi doesn’t seem to notice, though. “I am me, I voice Dio. It’s Asbel on the outside, but Dio in the inside. It’s not—not me and Sakurai. Sairai sounds stupid.”  
  
“You take it so seriously,” Asumi chides. “It’s just a joke.”  
  
Saiga bites her lower lip, and nods softly. “It’s troublesome.” She resolutely stares at the floor, and takes a breath. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Asumi bites back a smile.  
  
“Because of how the two of you are?”  
  
“It makes it a little awkward when people joke about that.” Not many people know of the odd bond she has with Sakurai, but a lot of the seiyuu in today’s event has, at one point or another, worked together with them for some period of time. She’s in particular glad to see Konishi-san again. People tease them, sometimes, she’s used to it. It’s an inside joke, they don’t really take it seriously, because really, who ever sees her as female anymore, these days? No one, probably. She doesn’t mind it when it happens backstage, where inside jokes are hidden from the public, but she feels awkward when they bring it on stage.  
  
“I like the name Sairai. It’s cool.” Asumi giggles—really giggles, this time. “He’s very stubborn when it comes to you, I think. How many times has he asked you out, this year?”  
  
Probably thousands, Saiga thinks, but only gives a snort as an answer. Asumi giggles and stands up, pats her shoulder again before walking away. Oku-san will be done with her song in a minute, so with a sigh, she stands up. She’d better get ready to come out on stage again.  
  
“Don’t be mad.”  
  
Nope, she doesn’t jump in surprise. Or yelp, or does any of those undignified things when a voice calls out to you out of nowhere. She freezes instead, feels her heart races and swallows a little before turning around, shooting an annoyed glare at the suspect behind her. Sakurai grins, sheepishly, and Saiga forgets that they are way too old for such boyish grins.  
  
“I’m not. You’re going to give me heart attacks, stop it.” Saiga grumbles, picking up the script she’s dropped on the floor. Raising her gaze to meet Sakurai, she huffs. “What is it?”  
  
“You seem mad, so I think I should apologize.” Sakurai shuffles forward. “Did I—you know…?”  
  
“What? Went too far?” Saiga raises an eyebrow. “Not really. You were just being thrice as stupid when you team up with Onosaka-san.”  
  
“Uh. Yeah, sorry.” Sakurai scratches the back of his head, a gesture so boyish Saiga is suddenly reminded that this man before her is one year younger than her. “I mean, I should’ve known better than to tease you about this. Whatever—whatever this is between us, I mean.”  
  
Silence.  
  
“Okay,” Sakurai clears his throat. “This is awkward.”  
  
“Nah,” Saiga shrugs, smirks when Sakurai perks up. “I don’t mind the joke. Nobody takes it seriously around here. Just, you know. Don’t do that on stage.”  
  
“You already called me ‘idiot’ twice on stage,” Sakurai clicks his tongue. “I think you’ll feel a lot better about it if you would just let me be your boyfriend.”  
  
Saiga laughs, and it feels much lighter now than when she’s on stage. “Keep on dreaming, Sakurai.”  
  
“No, really. We should at least make a team if you still refuse to be my girlfriend officially. Sairai still sounds awesome; Saiga-Sakurai. See I even put your name before mine.”  
  
She lets her hand swing to land a soft smack with her script on Sakurai’s head. “Stop being an idiot, seriously.”  
  
He smiles, bright and stupid and brilliant and idiotic at the same time, and Saiga can’t help but smile back. She’s more than fond of Sakurai, probably loves him herself, if she would ever admit it to herself, but that’s still a long way to go. She’s independent, that’s her strength, and falling in love sounds like admitting a weakness. And maybe, even though she’d rather die than admitting it, maybe she’s a bit scared, that if she accepts Sakurai, then the man will one day stop liking her and leave. If that happens, she honestly isn’t sure what to do.  
  
They’ve been a part of each other’s world for so long. If everything falls apart, then how will she draw the line between them?  
  
It’s just an inside joke, about how odd their relationship is. They tease her, sometimes, and she’s used to it, but it unnerves her when people bring that joke into work. She likes that name Sairai, too, somewhat, but not in public. Never in public. It feels like letting control slips out of her hands.  
  
“I take it seriously.” Sakurai says, all of a sudden, just when she’s about to walk over to Asumi. “The joke.”  
  
Saiga snorts. “It’s a joke.”  
  
“It’s nice,” Sakurai adds, undeterred. “Because people think we have something special. Best friends, and rivals, and maybe more. Definitely more.”  
  
Saiga laughs. “Sakurai, you’re seriously so full of yourself. I never said anything about dating you.”  
  
Sakurai grins. “You never reject me either,” he says, proudly. “And you’re still here. It means something, to me. Doesn’t it?”  
  
Saiga looks at him for a moment—at the earnest gaze that spells honesty and not-quite hiding the hopeful tone coloring his words. At the carefree grin that never changes (because he’s an idiot and probably will always be), and above all, at his presence. His never ending presence that always finds her, whenever and wherever she goes.  
  
Asumi is waving at her, a sign that they should be getting ready to come out again is mere seconds, so she ducks her head a little, hoping that Sakurai would miss the slight smile on her lips. She shrugs, then smacks him again with her script, grins at his pained yelp before turning around.  
  
“Sairai sounds cool.”  
  
She doesn’t look back when she strides towards where Asumi is. She doesn’t glance back to see Sakurai’s smug, probably oblivious grin. She doesn’t think about how Konishi-san is still stealing glances at both her and Sakurai, the corners of his mouth curving upwards in both amusement and knowledge. She shrugs at Asumi’s questioning gaze, lets her hand stop picking on her script, because on the stage, Garasu no Hana has stopped playing and the spotlight is blinding.  
  
Sairai is a topic for another day.  
  


**\-----o0ofinitoo0o-----**

**Author's Note:**

> Facts:  
> 1\. Sakurai voiced Asbel from Tales of Graces, while Saiga voiced Dio from Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon.  
> 2\. Both attended Tales of Festival 2010, where Saiga promoted Narikiri Dungeon along with Kana Asumi. Sakurai attended because Asbel made it to the top-three of character popularity polling, but he was invited out to the stage when it was announced that Dio gets to transform (or is it changes costume, I’m not sure, my Japanese is so limited and I don’t play Narikiri Dungeon. If anyone has info on this it would be appreciated) into Asbel, and it seems when Dio does that, his voice also changes into Asbel’s which means Sakurai did some of the voicing for Dio (no, seriously I’m not sure about this and my search in the internet didn’t help any, so this might be inaccurate). Onosaka, previously teased by Saiga, retaliated by caling Sakurai up on the stage and the two teased Saiga back, saying stuff like “the inside is Saiga, but outside is Sakurai” referring to the Dio/Asbel fact. That was when Sakurai came up with Sairai, as in Saiga-Sakurai. Saiga was laughing, but she seemed to be somewhat annoyed when they keep saying that it’s “Saiga inside-Sakurai outside”, so she kept saying “It’s troublesome”, and called both Onosaka and Sakurai idiots. I was very amused.  
> 3\. Kana Asumi voiced Mel, Dio’s twin sister from the same game.  
> 4\. Konishi Katsuyuki was also in Tales of Festival 2010, he voiced Lloyd from Tales of Symphonia. Previously, he worked together with both Sakurai and Saiga in Kyou Kara Maou!, and several other works, I think. He’s also affiliated with Ken Production, the same as Saiga.  
> 5\. Saiga did call Sakurai ‘Baka!’ twice on stage, and Asumi did blurted out ‘kakkoii!’ when Sakurai came up with ‘Sairai’.


End file.
